Entry No. 38 — the Portland file — filed under: planetarium
OMSI — Harry C. Kendall Planetarium
The planetarium dome doubles as a rock-laser venue on select Friday and Saturday nights — Laser Pink Floyd: The Wall and Laser Red Hot Chili Peppers both fire synchronized lasers under the same screen used for 'Starry Nights Live,' a staff-narrated tour of whatever's actually visible in the sky that week; OMSI's astronomers also haul telescopes out to state parks for meteor showers and solstices.
The story
Inside OMSI's sprawling waterfront facility, the Harry C. Kendall Planetarium operates on a double life. By standard hours, the 52-foot domed screen serves as a clean room for actual science: staff astronomers run 'Starry Nights Live,' narrating whatever planets and constellations are hanging over the Pacific Northwest that exact week. When real celestial events hit—meteor showers, solstices, eclipses—the same astronomers pack up high-powered telescopes and haul them out to nearby state parks to host public star parties in the dark.
On select Friday and Saturday nights, however, the planetarium drops the academic posture entirely. The 185-to-200-seat theater pivots into a late-night light show, firing synchronized lasers across the curved ceiling to tracks like Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' or the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It’s an old-school laser dome ritual preserved intact, trading quiet star charts for bass and bright beam arrays.
What it's like
You'll enter through the main OMSI lobby at 1945 SE Water Ave and head straight for the planetarium dome. Slide into the reclined seating—aim for the middle-to-back rows if you want to take in the full 52-foot arc without straining your neck. The crowd for the music shows is an eclectic mix of late-night regulars, audiophiles, and retro date-nighters. Once the lights come back up and the show ends, step straight out onto the Eastbank Esplanade right behind the building for a look at the actual city skyline reflecting off the Willamette.
The move: Grab tickets to a Friday-night Laser Pink Floyd: The Wall show under the dome, then step outside to the East Bank Esplanade for the real Portland skyline once the lights come back up.
- 📍 Central Eastside, SE Portland
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Scotch Lodge — Follow up a late-night light show under the dome with a drink inside a windowless, velvet-walled whisky den just a mile up into Buckman.
- Past Lives Makerspace — "Forge a Date!" — Pair an afternoon of hands-on blacksmithing in the Central Eastside industrial zone with an evening planetarium show down on Water Avenue.
- Clinton Street Theater — Rocky Horror at 11pm — Keep the late-night screen entertainment moving east by catching the midnight audience-participation show at Clinton Street Theater.
- Stark's Vacuum Museum — Combine two very different Central Eastside indoor attractions by touring historic suction machines before heading down to the planetarium screen.
Good to know
What is the capacity and setup of the theater?
The planetarium uses a 52-foot domed ceiling screen with stadium-style reclined seating for 185 to 200 people.
What kind of laser shows do they run?
They feature laser shows set to full albums on select Friday and Saturday nights, including programmed runs for Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
What makes 'Starry Nights Live' different from standard planetarium shows?
Instead of pre-recorded generic space video, 'Starry Nights Live' is narrated live by OMSI astronomical staff and tailored strictly to what is visible in the Oregon sky that week.
Do they offer outdoor telescope viewing?
Yes. Beyond the dome, OMSI astronomers take telescopes out to local state parks for public stargazing sessions during meteor showers and solstices.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Wikipedia
last checked: 2026-07-20